IPL 2013: Kings XI Off To A Flyer As Pune Flop

Kings XI Punjab made a winning start to the Indian Premier League 2013 with a crushing eight-wicket win over Pune Warriors, who have now not won in 11 IPL matches.

They could only post a pathetic 99 for nine after winning the toss and choosing to bat and Kings XI raced to victory in 12.2 overs.

Praveen Kumar (2-31) and Azhar Mahmood (2-19) led the way with the ball for the away side, for whom Piyush Chawla effected two run outs.

Only Abhishek Nayar, who was unbeaten on 25, made any sort of score for the home team, although Ross Taylor (15) could count himself a touch unlucky after he was outstandingly caught by Gurkeerat Singh on the boundary.

Adam Gilchrist (15) hit two fours and a six and opening partner Mandeep Singh made 31 before the Kings XI were brought home by debutant Manan Vohra, whose 43 not out in 28 balls was by a distance the best innings of the day, and won him the man-of-the-match award.

Pune captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and decided to bat first, despite missing Yuvraj Singh who sat out with a back spasm although it was a decision that backfired with some intensity as his team were not able to cross the 100-run mark in their allotted overs.

Kumar dismissed Manish Pandey (0) in the very first over, heaping more misery on the youngster. Tirumalasetti Suman (6), coming in for Yuvraj, batted at number three but did not last long either. Marlon Samuels (3) was unlucky to be run out and thereafter Robin Uthappa's stay at the wicket was ended by Chawla.

Uthappa scored 19 runs but scratched around for 23 balls, including two fours. He was the second highest scorer of the innings, with Nayar's 25 not out off 26 balls, helping Pune to a score of some respectability.

Nayar struck three fours even as wickets continued to fall around him, as Mathews (4) was stumped off Parvinder Awana. Taylor and Mitchell Marsh scored 15 runs each, but none of them were able to get any sort of partnerships going and it hurt Pune really badly. Perhaps the batsmen found it difficult to score since the pitch had spongy bounce.

Eventually Pune finished with 99 for nine, as the tail refused to wag either. Bhuvneshwar Kumar added eight runs and Rahul Sharma just the one. Kumar (2-31) and Azhar Mahmood (2-19) were the pick of the bowlers, while Ryan Harris, Awana and Chawla finished with a wicket each.

The chase was made easy by a swashbuckling start from Gilchrist who scored 15 off just 10 balls, with two fours and one six. Thereafter debutant Manan Vohra made sure that Pune never had a whiff.

Manan top scored in the match with 43 not out off 28 balls, hitting seven fours, and along with Mandeep Singh, added 58 runs for the second wicket. Mandeep scored 31 runs and was out in the 10th over of the innings, with the target not far off.

Mathews (1-12) and Rahul Sharma (1-20) were the wicket takers but could do nothing to prevent a Kings victory in only 12.2 overs.

David Hussey was unbeaten on eight and the winning run came courtesy of a Pune Warriors no ball, off of which Hussey had been caught.

Having batted poorly and then dropped catches as well, the messy end rather summed up Pune's day.